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Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

I admit that it's mostly a matter of opinion, but I think the Kobuto solution was significantly different; Elan was (somewhat niavely) under the impression that he could get the prisoner, who was technically a vassal of Lord Hinjo, a fair trial. Under what authority of law, exactly, would the OotS arrest Tarquin? And to whom do they bring him to be judged?

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Envyus

Most people don't know this but if Nale died it would be near impossble for Sabine to see him. Nale being lawful evil would go to hell home of Devils. Sabine is a Demon and with Lee as exception Devils hate Demons and would kill any that come near hell. Nale's soul would also be converted into a Lemure after a while destroying everything that made him well him.

The only ways Nale would be able to see her is

a. the IFCC gets the fiends to work togeather but thats not going to happen for a while.

b. Lee manages to buy Nale's soul. However he likely would not care enough to do so plus Nale could be converted before he has a chance.

No! Sabine and Nale have to make it out alive, and perform some kind of 'not threatening existence as we know it' villainy on a small scale... they have to make it!

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

If nothing else, he's plotting (and likely has committed) treason against the Empress of Blood...

Since he's the one who positioned her as a figurehead, while he continued to wield the power behind the throne, I don't really think he can commit "treason" against her.

I know, I know, if the locals think that it's treason, they'll call it treason.

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Their: a possessive pronoun like “her” or “our”There: refers to a place ("the Kobold is over THERE"), or to indicate the existence of something, or to mention something for the first time. ("THERE is a Halfling sneaking up on him")They're: a contraction of “they are.”

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

I just noticed that Roy's girlfriend and Nale's girlfriend are also counterpart to eachother. Celia (Roy) wears blue and have fairy wings while Sabine (Nale) wears red and have demon wings. Celia is a pacifist but Sabine is violent.
Too bad Sabine is gone. We never get to know if she's a demon (Cold iron) or devil (silver). "Sniff"

They can't even have children (or can they! )

yes, they can have children (we have half fiends characters in Monster Minis too).

Any nongood creature within the area that hears the holy word suffers the following ill effects.

And then gives a list of effects such as deafened, blinded, etc.1

It's only the banishment of outsiders which does not require the target to hear. That probably won't have an effect on this battle, though.

So Belkar heard the spell. The trap door he was hinding behind was probably the same one the sawblade trap came out of. That trap was triggered just before Durkon said the Holy Word, so the door to it was probably still open. That would let Belkar hear it. If not, then Belkar probably kept the door open a smidgen to see what was going on, so would have heard the Word that way.

Before this strip was posted, I was contemplating starting a thread speculating on what was going to happen in the next round the the ambush. The laws of drama indicated that Belkar would be the next to get involved and that he would enter from above.

At first I thought of an elaborate scheme where Durkon creates a small platform near the ceiling by means of Stone Shape. He would borrow Belkar's Ring of Jumping (and shed his armor) to get up that high (it's a touch spell). But I also thought of an alternative where Belkar hides in the same space the sawblade trap came out of. (I now wish I'd started that thread, since that was what happened.) I figured Belkar could avoid the effects of the Holy Word by wearing earplugs. But then I thought the darkness from the smokestick would make it too difficult for him to see where to jump. OK, I was wrong on these last two items.

Someone upthread (sorry it's late, and I don't have time to hunt for the post) claimed that no one thought that Belkar would be subject to the effects of Holy Word. Not true. At least one (and I think several) people pointed out that one of the spell's limitations was that both Belkar and V would be subject to it if Durkon had cast it in their presence. Interesting to see how the giant turned that limitation upside down...

So the next person to enter the fray should be Elan. Unless Roy has him tied up and gagged so he didn't ruin the ambush by loudly proclaiming his move silent roll... Assuming he isn't, where is his hiding place?

Roy should be getting involved but he doesn't seem to be moving anywhere. If he does move down the corridor, he'll first encounter the mummies. I expect he could take them all out with one or two Great Cleaves. Or possibly he could just run past them, since their controller, Malack, can no longer see them and order them to attack. Would they attack on their own initiative?

1 I do wonder about the last entry in the list of Holy Word effects. Anyone more than 9 levels below the caster's level are "Killed, paralyzed, blinded, deafened". Aren't the last three kind of superfluous? Or do they apply to the spirit of the character in the afterlife?

Random thought: If Vaarsuvius donned the Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity, would anyone notice?

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Another awesome update by the Giant! I love how he could work in Belkar's alignment in a logical way.
I also like how it proves Tarquin is higher level (as he should be).
The question is if Quarr will also be sent away, since he is within range of the spell (40 feet), even though he couldn't hear it.

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Loved the strip. Laughed out loud (bad idea as I am in work).

: "... WHAT?" : "It's not a bug. It's a feature."

Really brightened up my day.

Have Fun!
Niknokitueu

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Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Has it ever been stated anywhere that Kilkil even *has* any levels? He's just a bureaucrat in the Empire of Blood, and I'm pretty sure shuffling papers around doesn't grant any XP. I assumed that he was just flat-out killed by the Holy Word.
Why did they bring him along, anyway? He had nothing useful to contribute to the party at all.

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

This thread is umpteen pages already, so I didn't check if anyone mentioned this yet:

The Suggestion will remain in effect, and will become dangerous when Belkar's deafness wears off. Durkon should probably dispel it, just in case Nale survives long enough to order the Belkster to do some evil.

Well, do evil for his side, anyway.

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. - Thomas Paine

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Remember, Z's build was optimized for beating V. Granted he can change his spell selection, so that's not a huge advantage, but Z also didn't know that V would be out of commission today,

He didn't? Remember, he thought he'd sent Vaarsuvius to the Demiplane of Extremely Painful Torture.

Originally Posted by SinsI

He had ~9 levels to change that setup.

And absolutely no reason to do so. Nale is obsessed with being Elan's evil twin. He is not obsessed with following some optimization template.

Originally Posted by echelon_house

Has it ever been stated anywhere that Kilkil even *has* any levels?

Everyone has either levels or racial hit dice, and kobolds don't have racial hit dice. Whatever form of kobold has wings might, but while I look askance at people who suggest that Tarquin's secretary is too important a job not to be a high-level adventurer, I also look askance as the suggestion that Tarquin would choose someone completely unskilled for it. Most likely Kilkil is a decently leveled Expert.

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"The really unforgivable acts are committed by calm men in beautiful green silk rooms, who deal death wholesale, by the shipload, without lust, or anger, or desire, or any redeeming emotion to excuse them but cold fear of some pretended future. But the crimes they hope to prevent in the future are imaginary. The ones they commit in the present--they are real." --Aral Vorkosigan

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Since he's the one who positioned her as a figurehead, while he continued to wield the power behind the throne, I don't really think he can commit "treason" against her.

I know, I know, if the locals think that it's treason, they'll call it treason.

I'm pretty sure that as long as she's technically the empress, overthrowing her is technically treason.

Originally Posted by dtilque

1 I do wonder about the last entry in the list of Holy Word effects. Anyone more than 9 levels below the caster's level are "Killed, paralyzed, blinded, deafened". Aren't the last three kind of superfluous? Or do they apply to the spirit of the character in the afterlife?

I figure it's for creatures that can't be killed for some reason. Constructs, for example, can't be killed because they aren't alive; but they can see, so blinding works on them.

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Siosilvar

If you make a Listen check to pinpoint the square it's coming from (which should be fairly easy for a high-level rogue who has, by all probability, at least a few ranks in the skill), you can attack with a 50% miss chance. Appropriately enough, half of her arrows missed.

Which also, incidentaly, demonstrates the Hayley is 'Good-ish' enough to be unaffected by the Holy Word. I had wondered, briefly, if she was sufficiently Neutral to be affected, but apparently not.
(She looks a bit perturbed in the final panel, but that's probably just concentration...)

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Cuvalwen

Which also, incidentaly, demonstrates the Hayley is 'Good-ish' enough to be unaffected by the Holy Word. I had wondered, briefly, if she was sufficiently Neutral to be affected, but apparently not.
(She looks a bit perturbed in the final panel, but that's probably just concentration...)

Holy Word does have a range of 40 feet. She could be out of range of the spell.

Re: OOTS #860 - The Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by The_Weirdo

And this is the way Elan actually beats Tarquin: In a nameless fight, smack-dab in the middle of nowhere. Tarquin dies and doesn't get to be a king. Tarquin dies without anyone the wiser and doesn't get to be a legend.

Conversely, this is an excellent reason for Tarquin to either surrender or (more likely) pull a one-shot magical retreat device out of his utility belt once he gauges the situation to be unwinnable. Couldn't Malack have made some sort of Word of Recall device for him? (Sorry, been too many years since I've been able to play)